The Easiest Way To Get Dressed This Winter (PHOTOS)

Wearing colour is great, and we will never write about why you shouldn’t wear colour, but look: we don’t want to wear colour in the super-loud print sense of the word. (We'll take a bright sweater, sure, but then it’s being topped off with every black and grey piece we own, and frankly, we feel okay about that.)

Here's the truth: we love a monochromatic look. Not just because it’s easy (it is), but because you can’t screw it up. You can’t really do it wrong. Nobody cares if your black pants aren’t the same colour as your black jacket, and nobody’s going to say, “that grey was the wrong choice to wear with that darker grey.” Nobody. (Unless they’re monsters.)

And nothing makes us want to wrap ourselves up in black, grey, and various neutrals like fall and winter—the seasons that call for layering (and being lazy) the most. So let’s embody the simplest ways of dressing here and now. Here are 10 ways how:

Story continues below the slideshow:

Monochromatic Clothes

Monochromatic Clothes

1

of

80

Share this slide:

1. Black High-Rise Jeggings

The fashion world can promote wide-legged jeans until the cows come home, but we will pass, thank you, because we will always worship at the church of skinny jeans and/or jeggings. Especially since American Eagle released their Sky High Jegging this past summer which look just like jeans, but has the stretch of everyone’s spandex-and-cotton blend. Wearable with everything from fur vests to fitted button-ups, and believe us, we know from experience.

2. Jogging Pants

Okay, we lied: in addition to skinny jeans we will also wear American Eagle’s jogging pants because they allow for the maximum amount of holiday eating and comfort. Have you ever rolled through the mall in fancy jogging pants? Fear, not you will—because once you absorb grown-up jogging pants into your wardrobe, you will insist on feeling fly at all times.

3. Doc Martens

Doc Martens are not only timeless, comfy, and go with absolutely everything but one pair will get you through many cold, snowy, and salty winters. Also, on a more superficial front, you can dress them up, dress them down, and sleep well knowing that regardless of what you plan on wearing, your Docs will work with it.

4. Oversized Cardigan

We're sure if we could all just wrap ourselves in our blankets and go to work that way, we would. However, the next best thing is this: an oversized, grandpa-style cardigan that you can totally pick up at Value Village for about $7.99 (as we have learned this season), or brand new at a chain like the Gap, which works just as well. The bigger, the better—it is your duvet now.

5. Large, Wearable Scarf

For the record, we know that every scarf is technically wearable because, well, the point is to wear it. But in this case, we mean a wearable scarf—like a scarf you could wear as a cape or a shawl or however your heart desires (maybe even as a regular scarf, but let’s not go nuts). Enter: H&M’s Jacquard-weave scarf that does all of those things and abides by our precious monochromatic dress code. It’s truly only one foot of fabric away from being a wrap dress.

6. Hoodie, And/Or Sweatshirt

For years we condemned fleece in any capacity, but we were young, naive and very cold. Evidently, it turns out a sweatshirt or hoodie is only as casual as you make it, and classic styles work with almost everything, whether they be skinny jeans, leggings, or a denim skirt and—wait for it—Docs. First, we learned this via Roots’ Heritage Kanga hoodie, then the American Apparel salt and pepper zip-up—which, for the record, is available in different styles and at different stores,

7. Faux Fur Vest

The thing is, a monochromatic aesthetic doesn’t need to be boring. Case in point: a neutral faux fur vest that you can pair with a t-shirt, sweater, or whatever you think looks good with it. Styles like Forever 21’s faux raccoon fur vest can help break up monotony and bring other shades together—or if you’re not into faux fur, any textured piece that differs from the fabric you’re predominantly wearing.

8. Leather Jacket

The best thing about early winter is that we’ve still got a few days of intermittent warmth before the reckoning begins. And while you may only get a few wears out of a piece like AllSaints’ leather bomber, you can rest assured that you can (and will) pick it back up during the thaw, and in the spring, and then again in the fall, and then again maybe in December...and so on and so forth.

9. Fancy T-Shirt

First, any opportunity we have to say, “fancy” we will take, so here we are. Second, people fear wearing similar shades because they think it looks boring—which is impossible because they’re not boring (and only boring people look or get bored). Also: pieces like Joe Fresh’s foil print t-shirt add texture, shine, and generally dress up what might otherwise seem like a “boring” outfit. Texture is a monochromatic wardrobe’s best friend. (Even if that texture is a foil t-shirt worn with fancy jogging pants which, we promise you, works fine.)

10. A Little Black Dress

…Or, just a black dress. Which is what we’re going to call a style like Club Monaco’s Riley Sweater Dress, because black dresses are more than just that token “little” style. (We can’t all be Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast At Tiffany’s," and that's fine.) Ultimately, a black dress is key: they can be worn to weddings, funerals, Christmas parties, work events, and, well you know this. But to represent them, monochromatic-style? Pair it with opaque tights, Docs, and a leather bomber. Winter, say what.